The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-01-12
agricultural.
T. H. HOSklNs, M. D., Editor,
Newport, Vermont.
Marshall Z. Wilder.


One by one the veteran pioneers of
American pomology have left us, most
of them at that good old age BETTING
so peaceful and beneficent an occupa-
ton. AT the age of eighty-five years
Mr.. Wilder passed easily and peace
fully into his eternal rest at his home
in Dorchester, Mass, on Thursday,
December rs, at nine o'clock in the
forenoon. He ate his breakfast in
seeming health, and passed away al
most without notice. A few months
ago we noted the birthday dinner given
to him by a large number of the lead
ing citizens of Boston on his eighty
fifth anniversary. Mr.. Wilder was born
in Rindge, N. H., and as young man
he removed to Boston, and in process
of time became a leading and success
full merchant and banker of that city.
But his chief title to fame, and the one
dearest to him, has been his service to
pomology. This has been great in
many lines, but his chief delight and
service has been in the introduction
and dissemination of all the best and
most noted pears of Europe. His collec-
ton of this fruit was so complete that he
has been able to exhibit at one time
between five and six hundred distinct
varieties. The service he has thus
rendered in the introduction, testing
and distribution of so valuable fruit
is not to be estimated. When he be-
gan the pear was rare fruit. OF
such as were then known few were of
eatable quality, the best being now
laid aside as far inferior to modern
acquisitions through foreign introduce
tons and the advent of native seed
lings. That the pear is now, next to
the apple, the leading tree fruit of New
England is due, in very large degree,
to Mr.. Wilder. His large means enabled
him to import new sorts, regardless of
expense, and in his extensive grounds
to test their value with great thorough
ness. He distributed cions with un-
bounded liberality, and by his writings
he popularized this fruit by making
the public acquainted with the best
manner of growing the different sorts
and of handling and ripening the fruit
Mr.. Wilder has been for many years
the revered and honored president of
the American Pathological Society. AS
the vice-president of that society for
Vermont we have been in frequent
correspondence with him, and within
the last two months, especially, the in
terchange has been active in regard to
full exhibition of Russian and other
iron-c clad fruits at the biennial meeting
of the society next September in Bos-
ton. Our last letter from him was re-
ceived less than a week before his de-
cease and was warm with interest and
enthusiasm. He had obtained from
the Massachusetts, Horticultural Society
an appropriation of $500 for special
premiums, and seemed determined to
get together the fullest and largest eX-
hibition of this class of fruits that has
ever been made. We hope, now that
he has left us, that this wish of his
may prove a stimulus to us all to make
this exhibition sort of testimonial of
love and reverence to this wise chief
and eXemplar of our continental So
ciety The enwreathed names of
Downing, Warder and Wilder should
stand in the midst, testifying an un-
dying gratitude to such benefactors Of
mankind.